Nine months before Euro 2024 at home, Julian Nagelsmann has been named Germany coach until the end of July 2024, the German Football Federation (DFB) announced in a press release on Friday. The coach who worked at Hoffenheim (2016-2019), RB Leipzig (2019-2021) then Bayern Munich (2021-2023) succeeds Hansi Flick, dismissed from his post on September 10 the day after a rout against Japan (4-1). At 36, the Bavarian technician thus becomes the youngest coach in the history of the Nationalmannschaft.
“We have a European Championship in our country, it’s something very special. Having a big tournament in your own country sums it all up for me. I really want to take on the challenge. The match in Dortmund was the beginning,” commented Julian Nagelsmann, quoted in the DFB press release. After Flick was sidelined, the sports director of the Federation, Rudi Völler, took over as interim for a few days and was on the bench for the friendly match won against France (2-1) at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
A press conference with DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, Nagelsmann and Völler was scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) at the federation’s headquarters. “Julian Nagelsmann was our desired candidate as coach from the start of the search. He is not only a football expert, but he has already proven wherever he has gone that he knows how to motivate and draw with him an entire team and its environment,” greeted Völler, also quoted in the press release.
Eliminated from the first round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Germany has lost ground in the world football hierarchy since its Euro 2016 semi-final lost against France. In 2023, the Germans lost against Belgium, Poland, Colombia and Japan, for a draw against Ukraine and victories against Peru and France. The first meeting of the Mannschaft under the orders of Nagelsmann is planned in a little over two weeks, on October 9 for a tour of the United States, and two friendly matches against the USA on September 14 in Hartford (Connecticut) and Mexico October 17 in Philadelphia
SEE ALSO – The Paris SG “third” jersey for 2023-2024